This invention relates generally to deal trays such as those used by cashiers for through-the-wall transactions with customers, and more particularly with a deal tray with a self-closing feature.
An earlier patent of mine is U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,901. This patent discloses a transaction drawer within a housing that can be mounted in a building wall. The housing has a front door. A drawer is glidably mounted in the housing behind the door and has a lid at its top. When the drawer is closed, the lid accommodates access of the cashier to the contents of the drawer, and the front door is closed. A cam on the drawer is operated to raise the lid to an access-excluding position as the drawer is opened, and open the door for access to the drawer by a customer outside the wall. The cam on the drawer and lid have different rates of actuation so that the lid is closed more quickly than the door is opened. This device is not always viable for use in some applications.
There is a need for a less expensive deal tray that can be readily locked closed by an employee at the end of the day or between transactions than is currently available. This invention is one solution that addresses that need.
In one aspect, this invention is a deal tray for transactions between a location in front of a barrier and a location behind a barrier. The deal tray has a frame with at least a partially open top and at least a partially closed bottom. A receptacle rests in the frame and is movably connected to the front face of the frame. The movable receptacle moves between a lowered position toward the bottom of the frame and a raised position away from the bottom of the frame. A leg is movably attached to the bottom of the receptacle. The leg moves from a supine position when the receptacle is lowered to an erect position when the receptacle is raised.
In another aspect, this invention is an improvement for the combination of a countertop and a transaction barrier. The improvement is a deal tray that is mountable between the external side and internal side of the barrier. The deal tray has a frame with at least a partially open top that can also be secured within the top surface of the countertop. The deal tray further has a movable receptacle that is hingedly connected to the front face of the frame. The movable receptacle can then move between a lowered position away from the barrier above it and a raised position against the barrier above it. Finally, the deal tray includes a support hingedly attached to the bottom of the movable receptacle that can be moved between a supine position and a standing position, respectfully corresponding to the receptacle""s lowered and raised positions.